For the children of Syria

My post on this subject is long overdue as is any post for that matter, but my heart has been heavy for the Syrian children since the conflict started several years ago. I have protested the US's bombing of Syria when that proposal was brought up and I have looked into what is being done for the Syrian children who find themselves refugees in neighboring countries. There are thousands of children who have fled from their homes, with or without their parents, and who have been adjusting to life as a refugee. A lot of them are not in school due to the turmoil and the stretch of resources available to them as refugees; and as for those who are still in Syria, who knows what their situation truly is. As much as I believe children are resilient, I also believe that children are the most fragile and vulnerable. We as adults really need to go to great lengths to protect children - any children - so that they can improve the society we live in. It is what we put them through today that will determine what kind of people they will be tomorrow. But it seems that the US news channels have now forgotten about these events and have moved on to others. Of course there are plenty of other current events that are captivating our attention, but I cannot shake the burden I have for these children and all those other children in that area that are suffering due to the actions of the adults. Children should not have to suffer because adults cannot find peaceful solutions to their conflicts.

More recent news articles and reports on Syria can be found here:

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2014/08/syria-no-strings-2014817105747216504.html
https://news.vice.com/article/airstrikes-pound-islamic-state-forces-in-syria-as-rebels-gain-an-unlikely-ally
UNICEF calls Syria one of the most dangerous places for a child.

And of course this also reminds me of the children in Gaza, who are suffering the same things as the Syrian children having already been through several conflicts depending upon their age. The only difference is that the children of Gaza have nowhere to go, no neighboring countries to flee to. It is a truly tragic situation - again, children suffering because adults cannot find peaceful solutions. Here's an article about the children of Gaza:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28803447

Attacks in Somalia

Last December, a war began between the Ethiopian government and the forces of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). The Ethiopian government provided forces to support the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) who were engaged in fighting with the ICU in the coastal areas of southern Somalia, areas under ICU control. Since then, the fighting has raged on in the city of Mogadishu - the capital of Somalia.

According to a Human Rights Watch article last week, fighting still continues in Mogadishu, Somalia, even though a cease fire is supposed to be in effect. The fighting continues between the Ethiopian military, the Somalian government and ICU groups in Mogadishu. Shelling and mortar attacks on heavily populated areas have killed and injured hundreds of civilians. The United Nations reports that nearly 400 people have died in the recent fighting and thousands are fleeing. The UN reports that more than 100,000 people have fled the areas where attacks continue to occur and are living under trees or whatever shelter they can find. Although there appears to be a temporary cease fire, people anticipate that fighting will continue. Most airstrips around Mogadishu have been closed down, making it difficult for humanitarian aid to reach those who are displaced, and with the long rains approaching, shelter is a major concern for these displaced people. The most vulnerable among these displaced and fleeing people are women and children.

Click here to view the most recent Human Rights Watch article on Somalia. Click here to view the most recent UN news report on Somalia.